Outlander Trailer Sherpa II project...Dial-up beware!

bigwapitijohnny

Adventurer
All,

I am now able to proceed with my trailer project. I have been 'chomping at the bit' to start and now my wife has given me the green light (following paying off her '04 Sequioa). Mind you, she has always given me a green light to proceed with the various projects that I have had in the past :victory:...I dare not venture into the 'do-it-yourself' realm as some of you have admirably done, rather, my skill set lies in the realm of dentistry, and I realized early on that it's easier for me to deal with millimeters in the mouth rather than inches and square feet in the garage.

Anyway, I had a chance to look at the many offerings here on ExPo, and I want to congratulate and thank all of you for your contributions to this forum. There is a wide variety of trailers here that range from the elegant to utilitarian. Nonetheless, all have their strengths and weaknesses. My needs required a more 'modular' approach to a trailer. I felt that an RV or a dedicated camping trailer would only be a 'one dimensional' solution for my needs and wants. I intend to use this trailer throughout the year depending upon the season. It will be used for the following: 1) going into the woods and haul split logs for the winter. 2) have the ability to drag various big game from the field to my freezer (following processing of course). 3) have the ability to load up my ZTR or future ATV. 4) take the family camping in the great outdoors. 5) serve as a part of the TEOTWAWKI solution and help get my family out of the suburban jungle to the sticks...So, given all of these factors, I have decided to go with a custom built trailer by Outlander trailers. I have been in touch with Robert Shepard for over a year now, and we have bounced around various design ideas. My trailer will be a form of this type of trailer called the Sherpa II. The width will be a little wider since the modern ATVs require about 50" across.

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I just returned from Sheridan, Arkansas to see firsthand the Outlander trailer operation. I got a chance to spend about 2.5 hours discussing the trailer options available. Let me say that his knowledge, attention to detail, and insight are all exceptional. It was well worth the trip! :sombrero:

I purchased 3 Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo in size LT265/75/r16 and mounted them onto my split spoke wheels that I had in the garage. Tire shop had a first generation Revo laying around and let me have it for $100 if I bought two of the second generation ones...turned out to cost $150 per tire...

The issue currently that I am wrestling with is what kind of tent system to purchase. I need to have a changing / privacy room off of the tent for my wife to approve...So, I was wondering if there are any other options available besides the Serengeti...

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I have also seen the Eezi-awn Globetrotter system but I think that the room would be too small for this to work. The room 'below' would need to be able to fit a cot as well as a porta potty system.

Please feel free to add any and all insight! Thanks in advance!

Regards,

BWJ
 

Hassle

New member
I'll be interested to see how this thread goes with the roof tent, so I'm going to subscribe, so promise to update please.

I've seen a few off what I term proper trailer tents at shows, here in the UK, but in the last few months while trying to turn up and aquire prices it's been hard to find. One of the reasons I joined this site.

If I just wanted just a roof tent. I'd put it on top of the Land Rover but I'm looking for more of a drive up, park up, tent up, chill out, drive around and at least a week later bug out. Hence the reason for going on top of the trailer.

Also in Great Britain we have something called rain, a lot of it and trying to live with just a roof tent and a tarp well it's not my idea of camping.

Anyway here is one by a company called Howling Moon

I think this is more the idea of a proper trailer tent :coffeedrink:

Oh and hello to the site as well
 

JK-Mg1212

Observer
That looks great. I am just starting to look into a trailer myself so I will be interested in your final design.
Mike
 

bigwapitijohnny

Adventurer
One possible solution...

I have been pondering this issue today...What if I went with a Mombasa tent (Adventure II) and in lieu of an additional room, go with an Oztent RV-2 or an RV-3 with Deluxe peaked side panels? The ideal would be to snug the tent right up 'into' the awning portion and then fabricate an custom wall that would drape over the trailer tent opening. The outer rain fly of the tent would drape over the the entire awning of the RV-2...Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

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I will call Oztent usa and get more information on this option...

Regards,

BWJ
 
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R_Lefebvre

Expedition Leader
I'm curious about your sizing. I've been working on a design for an off-road cargo trailer. Just a simpler thing than the big camping trailer I've got. I wanted it to be wider than 48" so that it's easier to fit 3 dirtbikes on it, but I find even achieving 48" width between the wheels makes it hard to match the track width of my truck. Have you got a wide truck, or you're just going to forget about the whole "trailer following in tracks" issue.
 

bigwapitijohnny

Adventurer
At this point, the trailer will be wider than the tow vehicle, but not by much. Pardon my ignorance on this issue, could you direct me to some posts regarding this issue? That would be a great help.

Thanks,

Jon K.
 

gasman

Adventurer
hi .. i have the serengetti.. and absolutley love it the quality is top notch and fernando at camping labs is great to deal with...
what i like is...
the tent is huge !! prolly too big for i what i need most of the time . but i am glad i have it.. as i get older i seem to take more of the creature comforts along and this is like a hotel for me... i have the option of opening up the entire front wall or keeping it closed there is room for a small table and chairs if needed and agian if needed i could sleep 3 or 4 adults on the floor..
what i dont like is...
the tent is huge.. some times i would like to have the option of not setting up the whole thing.. just the the top sleeping part if you know what i mean .. like the globe trotter.. i just felt the ground room on the globe trotter was too small for my purposes would i buy one of these tents again .. you betcha .. in a heart beat...
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R_Lefebvre

Expedition Leader
At this point, the trailer will be wider than the tow vehicle, but not by much. Pardon my ignorance on this issue, could you direct me to some posts regarding this issue? That would be a great help.

Thanks,

Jon K.

I can't think of one particularly good thread to link to. But basically it's intuitive. If you're pulling a trailer through mud, for example, it helps if the trailer is the same width as the truck, so it runs in the ruts from the truck. Same deal for picking a line through rocks, etc.

The other aspect is, if the trailer body is the same width as the truck, or less, it will tow better, using less gas. My big trailer tows really easy because it's the same width as much truck, fits into the slipstream.

I've been designing a smaller do-all trailer to replace my normal 4x8 utility trailer. Something to haul dirtbikes, collect firewood, landscaping supplies, and the odd sheet of plywood. But the body would have to be only 46" wide to achieve the same track as the truck. :(

the tent is huge.. some times i would like to have the option of not setting up the whole thing.. just the the top sleeping part if you know what i mean

That was a big part of the decision for me. I really liked those tents, but I wanted to be able to pick and choose how much tent I want to set up.
 

bigwapitijohnny

Adventurer
That was a big part of the decision for me. I really liked those tents, but I wanted to be able to pick and choose how much tent I want to set up.

That is why I am considering the Mombasa / Oztent combination...It's all about the options for me. Had a chance to talk to Randy at Oztent tonight...This combination may indeed work because the awning is somewhat adjustable from it's reported 6'6" height. What I need to do now is to find a local awning / tent maker that can rig up a custom privacy 'wall' for the Mombasa tent to fit snugly into...Oh the journey is quite interesting isn't it?.

Fired off an email to Robert at Outlander tonight, he is checking on some other 'custom' Mombasa tent options..I'll keep you all posted.

Regards,

BWJ
 
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R_Lefebvre

Expedition Leader
What I'm working on right now is a series of arms which will be installed at the top of my trailer, and will swing out to hold awnings. Very similar to the Hannibal awning design. I don't want any poles or pegs. So, I'll have a basically a copy of an Hannibal awning on the kitchen side, and probably the back. On the bedroom side, I'll have the arms swing out, but the fabric will slope up to hang from the side of the opened up Maggiolina tent. I could also have walls made which could hang from the arms.
 

The Swiss

Expedition Leader
Good looking trailer you have there. Always liked the Outlander Sherpa II. What suspension are they using? Leaf with shocks? Could you take some pics by any chance
 

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